Pokies in Waimakariri: Venues and Gaming Machines
At the end of June 2026, 11 venues in Waimakariri held licences for 163 gaming machines (pokies), according to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). A year earlier the district had 11 venues and 165 machines, the same number of venues. Below is every licensed pokie venue in Waimakariri, with its address, venue type and number of machines, followed by what players lost on those machines.
Pokie venues in Waimakariri
| Venue and address | Type | Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Craft Bar and Kitchen Kaiapoi Units 3-4, Kaiapoi Crossing, 77 Hilton Street, Kaiapoi, Canterbury 7630 | Tavern | 9 |
| Kaiapoi WMC and MSA 113 Raven Quay, Kaiapoi 7630 | Workingmen’s Club | 18 |
| Kaikanui Tavern 67 Williams Street, Kaiapoi 7630 | Tavern | 18 |
| Mandeville Tavern 99 Raven Quay, Kaiapoi, Canterbury 7630 | Tavern | 9 |
| Pineacres Restaurant & Bar 740 Main North Road, Kaiapoi, Canterbury 7630 | Tavern | 9 |
| Oxford Workingmens Club & MSA 160 High Street, Oxford 7430 | Workingmen’s Club | 12 |
| Mainstreet Sports Bar 37 High Street, Rangiora, Canterbury 7400 | Tavern | 18 |
| Plough Hotel 398 High Street, Rangiora 7400 | Hotel | 18 |
| Rangiora RSA Club 82 Victoria Street, Rangiora 7400 | RSA Club | 18 |
| The Brook Bar and Eatery 16 Southbrook Road, Rangiora, Canterbury 7400 | Tavern | 18 |
| Woodend Tavern 51 Main North Road, Woodend, Woodend 7610 | Tavern | 16 |
Venues by suburb or town: Kaiapoi (5), Rangiora (4), Oxford (1), Woodend (1). 6 of the 11 venues run the maximum of 18 machines. 3 of the 11 venues are clubs (RSA, sports, cosmopolitan or similar); the rest are pubs, hotels, TAB venues and other commercial premises. The Gambling Act 2003 caps a pub or club at 18 machines, and venues first licensed after 17 October 2001 at 9 unless the Minister approved more.
How much players lose on pokies in Waimakariri
Players in Waimakariri lost $2.8 million on pub and club pokies in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 12.3% on $2.5 million in April-June 2025. Over the four quarters to June 2026 the total was $10.9 million (up 7.1% on the previous four quarters). Across New Zealand the figure for the same quarter was $267.1 million, so Waimakariri accounted for 1.0% of national pokie losses outside casinos.
| Quarter | Gaming machine profits |
|---|---|
| Jul-Sep 2024 | $2.6 million |
| Oct-Dec 2024 | $2.7 million |
| Jan-Mar 2025 | $2.4 million |
| Apr-Jun 2025 | $2.5 million |
| Jul-Sep 2025 | $2.7 million |
| Oct-Dec 2025 | $2.8 million |
| Jan-Mar 2026 | $2.6 million |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | $2.8 million |
Who runs the machines and where the money goes
Pokies in pubs and clubs are class 4 gambling. Only a corporate society, such as a community trust or a club, can hold the licence, and the profit after tax and costs must go to authorised purposes such as community grants. In Waimakariri the main licence holders are The Lion Foundation 2008 (3), Kiwi Gaming Foundation (2), Aotearoa Gaming Trust (2).
Looking for somewhere to bet on racing or sport? Our TAB Waimakariri list has every TAB store, pub TAB and club TAB in the district.
More pokie venues in Canterbury
Christchurch (73) · Selwyn (13) · Ashburton (11) · Timaru (12) · Hurunui (8) · Kaikoura (1) · Mackenzie (4) · Waimate (2) · All of New Zealand
Before you play
If gambling is costing more than you planned, the Gambling Helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0800 654 655 or by free text to 8006. Under section 310 of the Gambling Act 2003 a venue manager must, when you ask, issue an exclusion order that bars you from the gambling area of that venue for up to 2 years. More options are on our gambling help page.
Prefer to play from home? Our online pokies guide explains how online pokies differ from pub machines, and our gambling law page covers what is legal in New Zealand.
Source: Department of Internal Affairs, Quarterly List of Venues and Gaming Machines (June 2026) and Class 4 Gambling Expenditure by Quarter and District, published on data.govt.nz. Gaming machine profits (GMP) are the amounts players put into the machines minus the prizes paid out, before tax and grants. Opening hours are not part of the DIA data; check with the venue.